The present invention relates to a manifold and the manufacturing method therefor.
A manifold which is indispensable for a machine tool, especially for an oil pressure valve, is known to be extremely difficult to design and machine. A solid-shaped ingot which is to be machined for a manifold is heavy and has to be moved by a crane every time it is machined, making the whole process very troublesome. In addition, if a dead zone remains near where fluid passages (an oil pressure passage, for example) intersect at the time of machining, shavings are liable to deposit therein which are difficult to be washed out. In order to eliminate such dead zones, it is necessary to have machining near the intersections of fluid passages so as to form the above-mentioned fluid passages penetrating from one side to the other side and to provide blank caps after inserting a rod reversely to near these intersections. This is inconvenient and it increases manufacturing costs. As a countermeasure, a technique has been proposed wherein a manifold is formed in separate parts and then assembled at the final stage, to make a manifold of a cubic shape or a block shape. However, manufacturing a manifold in separate parts to be assembled later is not practical since the connection of fluid passages inside becomes more three-dimensional than two-dimensional and is extremely complicated.